Stock Market & Financial Investment News

CREDO Petroleum agrees to settle merger litigationCredo Petroleum (CRED) announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding to settle the previously disclosed consolidated shareholder class action lawsuit captioned In re Credo Petroleum Corporation Shareholder Litigation, Consolidated C.A. No. 7641-VCP pending in the Delaware Court of Chancery. The Merger Litigation relates to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 3, 2012, by and among Forestar Group, Longhorn Acquisition, a wholly owned subsidiary of Forestar, and CREDO Petroleum. CREDO agreed to the settlement solely to avoid the costs, risks and uncertainties inherent in litigation, and without admitting any liability or wrongdoing. CREDO denies all liability with respect to the facts and claims alleged in the Merger Litigation and specifically denies that any breach of fiduciary duty occurred, or that any further disclosure is required to supplement the Proxy Statement under any applicable rule, statute, regulation or law. The settlement provides, among other things, that the parties will seek to enter into a stipulation of settlement which provides for the conditional certification of the Merger Litigation as a non opt-out class action pursuant to Court of Chancery Rule 23 on behalf of a class consisting of all record and beneficial owners of CREDO common stock during the period beginning on June 3, 2012, through the date of the consummation of the proposed merger, including any and all of their respective successors in interest, predecessors, representatives, and the release of all asserted claims. The asserted claims will not be released until such stipulation of settlement is approved by the court. There can be no assurance that the parties will ultimately enter into a stipulation of settlement or that the court will approve such settlement even if the parties were to enter into such stipulation. The settlement will not affect the merger consideration to be received by CREDO stockholders or the timing of the special meeting of CREDO stockholders scheduled for September 25, 2012.